Romney still running in new TV spot

They say that a presidential campaign is more a marathon than a sprint. So Mitt Romney keeps running and running in his new TV ad -- the second in a row that shows him pounding the pavement near the family vacation home on Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H.

The 30-second spot, which begins airing today in Iowa and New Hampshire, also features Ann Romney, the candidate's better half who is taking a more visible role in the campaign. It shows her giving a speech in which she declares, "Every place that Mitt has gone, he has solved problems that people said were nearly impossible."

The narrator then ticks off the high points of Romney's resume: turning around failing companies at Bain Capital, saving the 20002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and balancing the budget as governor without tax hikes (though he and the Legislature raised numerous fees).

The first running ad, which began airing last week, follows a similar script. The Romney campaign said today that it will expand its TV advertising and air both ads over the next two weeks in South Carolina, where Romney has spent less time and money and trails in the polls.

The spots seem to serve two purposes -- introducing Romney in a very favorable light to many voters who still don't know him very well, and portraying him as a very vigorous 60-year-old who has the energy to lead the country.